Beauty Hacks
I've been practicing esthetics for so long now that I forget one essential fact: most people don't know the things that I know. Things that seem obvious to me are not obvious at all. Here's a short list of beauty hacks: the inside scoop.
Do you tend to break out on the right side of your chin? Lots of people do. You're probably right handed and talk on the phone a lot (honestly, who doesn't these days?). Get some alcohol wipes from a drugstore and commit to wiping down your phone (both mobile and office) once a week. Do you know what kind of icky stuff lives on that thing? Of course it's clogging your pores.
Keep your styling products off your face! Heavy conditioners and sticky, silicone-based styling products are for your hair, not for your face. I see tons of hairline and forehead breakouts (for those with bangs) due to hair products. That deep conditioning mask for your hair was NOT meant as a moisturizer. Keep the conditioner to the ends of your hair, and be careful when applying styling products to keep them away from your skin.
Lash Tints: this is a service that not everyone knows exists. It's basically dying your eyelashes like you would dye your hair, and with lashes it's usually a stark black or blue-black color. It coats both the upper and lower lashes and lasts anywhere from 2-4 weeks. A lash tint makes the wearer look like they have permanent mascara and really makes the eyes pop. Great for avoiding that "Oh, you look tired, are you okay?" question. It's my absolute favorite service for before vacations or periods of time when you don't want to bother with mascara.
Good to the last drop: Squeezy tubes are stealing your beauty products! Even after it feels like you've squeezed out every last ounce, there is always tons of product coating the insides of the tube. Cut off the top and scoop out the extra with a popsicle stick or a spoon. Keep that open end covered with tin foil or cling wrap. You'll have a week's worth of product left in there, I promise.
Stop buying exfoliant: A Clarisonic brush is a hefty purchase (most retail for a hundred plus dollars), but it's a financially sound one. Not only does it cleanse in a much more efficient manner than your own two hands, but it is also exfoliating, removing the need to buy any kind of scrub.
Ice, ice, baby: Blemishes are visible because they are red and they are swollen. A pimple without either of those qualities is barely noticable. Anytime a big sucker shows up in the middle of your face on picture day, slap some ice on it. Ice removes the redness and the inflammation, and just like that, the blemish will be way less noticeable.
Consider yourselves enlightened... now go forth with great skin!
